My first week in Tainan, I was lost. I couldn't read
Chinese and most streets seemed identical. I was afraid I'd never
find the Yellow Submarine until my friend Dan offered his solution
to orientation problems: play Get Lost.

To play Get Lost, simply drive away from familiar areas
in an attempt to, well, get lost. Then try to find your way back home
again. The fun lies in what you discover in the process.

The Penghu Islands are an ideal place to play Get Lost.
Wackiness awaits at every turn - plus the air is really clean. And
now that the harsh winter winds that rip over the archipelago are
subsiding, the 64 islands can provide a nice break from the R.O.C.
"mainland."

The first stop is the city of Makung on Penghu Island.
The ferry schedule connecting it with Kaohsiung is available from
the Taihua Ferry's Taiwan Hangye Company at (07) 561-3866 or from
the pier office at 5 Chiehhsing 1st Street. It helps to know the departure
time in advance; I was surprised to learn that even in July during
the peak season (May-October), the only boat left at 9:30 am. Luckily,
reclining seats for the four-hour ride are available, in case you
need a little more sleep.

Arriving at the pier in Makung, my boyfriend Bryan and
I were greeted by a large steel sculpture of N.B.A. great Michael
Jordan. This was our first clue that Penghu would be a fun place to
play Get Lost. We rented a 125 cc scooter for 250 NT with a Washington
State driver's license ("Of course it's a motorcycle license!")
and the game began.

Makung is a mini-version of Taiwan's cities; you won't
miss scooter traffic or lu cha. And if you're a fan of peanut candy
or seafood, there's no reason to leave. But as a vegetarian who lacks
a sweet tooth, looking for beaches was a preferable alternative. Obviously,
islands have lots of beaches and places to sip whisky and watch sunsets.
Penghu is no exception, though some will contain huge mounds of industrial
garbage deposited by currents from Taiwan or China. Chihli Beach has
a two-story pagoda from which you can view the sunsets if you feel
the need for elevation. You'll know you've found it when you encounter
a display of bloated Puffer fish drying in the wind nearby.

Paisha Island connects overland with Penghu Island,
providing easy access for scooters and fleets of tour buses. The buses
beat us to the Penghu Aquarium, which features classic display captions
like, "Maybe we can say it is a ninja fish." The taste and
commercial value of exhibited fish and crabs is also occasionally
described. A more relaxing stop is the 300-year-old Banyan tree strung
with Chinese lanterns that lead to a temple. The presence of elderly
locals playing mahjong and drinking tea on picnic tables beneath its
benevolent canopy secures the site's mellow vibe.

We sped across "the longest bridge in Taiwan,"
Kuahai Bridge, to Hsi Island (Our guidebook claimed it's 5 km long
but our odometer only clocked 2.5 km. Who can say?). A wrong turn
to the right led suddenly to Hsianomen Island and the Whale Cave,
a striking black stone arch that bears no resemblance to a whale.

Back on Hsi Island, we tried to go to a lighthouse from
which it is sometimes possible to see China, but instead found a military
base, a quick reminder of Penghu's location in the middle of the Taiwan
Strait, and that relations with China continue to be strained. We
also found a huge cement "decoy cannon" built by the Japanese
during WWII in an attempt to trick the Allies into bombing an unpopulated
area. Though the ruse failed, the cannon does provide a great photo
op-it sits in a beautiful stretch of rolling grass.

In the Penghu Islands, you can happen upon fishing villages
with brightly painted boats, countless temples devoted to the Taoist
goddess of the sea, Matsu, and extremely welcoming locals. With extra
time, you can explore outer islands like Wang'an, where fences and
even houses are often constructed with coral, and noise comes only
from waves and wind. It is impossible to feel claustrophobic in Wang'an's
expansive grasslands. There are roads to tourist destinations like
fairy footprints and such but the fun, of course, is just driving
around.